Portable restrooms are normally serviced by the company that rents them out to event organizers. The rental contract includes an agreed-upon schedule for service of the units, which may be as seldom as once per month or as often as once per day. The frequency of service is based on the estimated number of per day uses of the restrooms at that particular site. Servicing of the restroom includes vacuuming out the waste, putting a charge of clean water and deodorizer back into the tank(s), replenishing consumables such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer, washing down the interior of the restroom, and inspecting the unit for any damage or malfunction.
It can be very difficult to correctly estimate the number of uses a given restroom might see during an event. Just the physical placement of a restroom in relation to any neighboring restrooms can make a big difference in the number of uses it sees. One restroom may get used 50 times per day, while another restroom at the same event may only get used 5 times per day, but the rental contract states that they all get serviced with the same frequency. This often causes some restrooms to get dirty or full sooner than others. A dirty or full portable restroom creates an extremely unsanitary condition for the user, and an undesirable image towards both the rental company and portable restrooms in general.
Other problems with conventional portable restrooms include odor, heat and visibility of the waste in the tank. For example, the majority of conventional portable restrooms in the U.S. employ what is called a “straight drop” tank, in which the user essentially sits over a large opening in the tank. This allows the user to see all of the waste that has accumulated in the toilet and for odors to travel directly to the user. This is one of the worst aspects of using a standard portable restroom.
Thus, there is a need for improved portable restrooms that address one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks.